A Brookhaven alderwoman is planning a meeting Thursday to welcome Arrow Disposal Service Inc. to the neighborhood.

“People have so many questions about the garbage changeover,” said Alderwoman-at-Large Karen Sullivan.

While the program is an official meeting for the Vernondale Neighborhood Watch, it is open to the public and anyone can come ask questions, she said.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Jimmy Furlow Senior Center at 201 South First St.

Alabama-based ADSI was awarded a three-year contract as Brookhaven’s garbage collectors in July. They’ll be replacing Waste Pro Oct. 1; however, ADSI’s blue, 95-gallon carts are being delivered to customers this week. Instructions and a pickup date are included with each can.

Sullivan invited ADSI spokesman Jimmie Moore to attend the meeting to answer questions.

Waste Pro Divisional Vice President Chris Lockwood will not attend. He told The Daily Leader customers should continue to use Waste Pro carts rather than ADSI’s until Oct. 1.

“We won’t be dumping their carts. We’ll be dumping our carts for the remainder of the contract,” he said.

On Oct. 1, customers are encouraged to leave their empty Waste Pro carts at the curb for pickup. Customers with 18-gallon recycling bins with the Waste Pro logo on them should place those curbside as well.

The company hired to pick up the carts will hopefully collect the vast majority in the first week, he said. Lockwood expects about 90 percent of the Waste Pro carts to be picked up within the week, but it could take longer to get them all.

“We might be collecting them throughout the month of October, just doing run-bys and grabbing some stragglers,” he said.

He said it’s best to put the carts at the road Oct. 1 and leave them there until they’re picked up.

“When you’re delivering 4,500 carts, you know, things go wrong and when you’re picking up 4,500 carts, sometimes there are delays,” he said. “So the cart may sit out there a little bit longer than people like but we’re going to go ahead and try and get everything collected as soon as possible.”

Moore said all customers should have ADSI carts soon, but they’re not to be used until the first day of the contract. The specific pickup day will be listed on the cart.

ADSI will empty Waste Pro carts after Oct. 1 but only temporarily.

“We prefer that they use ours, but we will dump Waste Pro carts for that first week or two,” he said.

Lockwood said he is working with ADSI to ensure a smooth transition.

“I talk to them frequently and they talk to me frequently,” he said. “We’re trying to help each other out and help the town out and get everything situated for the new contractor to start for you guys.”

Sullivan plans to monitor the session to keep everyone on track.

“It’s not to be a bashing of Waste Pro,” she said. “It’s to introduce our new company and hopefully show that they are a very dependable disposal service.”